...marmaduke, not to be outdone, had his two spies too. These were pidge and podge, who, although local, knew their stuff, and flew back and forth between alcatraz and pidgeon point, along highway 1. This route enabled them to bring all local news of interest back to the island long before any boat or newspaper ever could...
...duchess too had a secret, and his name was livingstone. Originally from africa, he was the one she sent flying in all directions on secret spying missions, while trying to gauge the temperature of the world...
...marmaduke had a secret passion, and her name was mops. Duchess had a new craze, and was going on and on about how she craved a chihuahua or papillon, it would be so useful and decorative, warming her lap or draped around her long, slim neck to keep her warm in winter. Marmaduke saw his chance and mentioned bringing mops back home, which the duchess mistakenly took to be floor mops, after which marmaduke sulked and vowed to keep his secret to himself...
...and upsets..."i could scream" was one of duchess's favourite expressions, along with "i could just scream" and "i could scream a thousand screams". "Lordy, lordy" was another, when she had georgia on her mind, along with louisiana swamps and crocodiles. But then her mind would start to wander along to australia, where she would get lost in thought, dreamings, songlines and walkabouts. While gazing out to sea and beyond, her focus would gradually return from far horizons, and swim back from the setting adriatic suns to where she sat, which made her realize that what she needed was a sundowner, preferably a stiff gin and tonic, with lemon and ice...
...let sleeping cats lie, and remember that a leopard can't change it's spots nor a tiger it's stripes...
...as an elegant heron... in the grass admiring her long, slim neck...in the water admiring the reflection of her long, slim neck...on a perch admiring the silhouette of her long, slim neck...in the air admiring the ladylike stretch of her pink wings and long, slim neck...
...this is the story of marmaduke and duchess. They lived in the lighthouse on alcatraz, overlooking the bay of san francisco and the island of sausalito. Duchess was as saucy as sausalito, and just loved to dance and travel. Marmaduke, her leopard-spotted tiger-striped tomcat, was as cute as a kitten and as wild and unpredictable as a tiger. He loved to sleep and hunt, and was passiomate about his freedom...
